When I Started Capturing the Academy Princesses, Things Turned into a Battlefield - V1 Chapter 19: The Fairy, the Princess-Prince, and the Goddess

Chapter 19: The Fairy, the Princess-Prince, and the Goddess

A bomb suddenly dropped by the so-called Goddess.

Not just me—

Even Shiranui and Kazama were staring wide-eyed.

None of us could process what had just been said.

“That was a bit sudden, don’t you think?”

The first one to snap out of it was Shiranui, her best friend.

“I was just sharing my thoughts.”

“No, I mean—”

“Tsubasa-chan, you might not know yet since you haven’t spent much time with him, but Yuma-kun is actually a really great guy.”

“That much I already know. He’s the one who helped us mend our friendship, after all.”

Even though I only agreed to help out on a whim.

“So you do get it, Tsubasa-chan. That’s why I think Yuma-kun and Yukina-chan make a good pair. They’re both kind, and their personalities really match.”

“…”

Shiranui was at a loss for words.

“Yukina-chan is like the definition of a charming girl. She’s stylish, super cute, and honestly, one of the nicest people I know—though I guess that’s something only a former classmate would know.”

“I-I guess.”

“She’d make the perfect girlfriend for someone as wonderful as Yuma-kun. At least, that’s what I thought. Huh… did I say something weird?”

No matter how you look at it, that was just weird.

Shiranui looked completely confused.

Yeah, I get it.

That reaction made sense.

It’s not exactly easy to say stuff like that right in front of me.

From Shiranui’s perspective, Kazama must seem like this incredibly sociable and kind-hearted beauty.

Anyone would think a girl like that is way too good for someone like me.

No one in their right mind would say we were a good match.

We were obviously on different levels.

Shiranui probably wanted to say exactly that.

“Uhm… I wouldn’t say it’s weird. I was just surprised, that’s all.”

She only held back because she owed me.

Shiranui really was a good girl.

True comrade material.

Even on the inside, she was just as princely as she looked.

Totally different from a hopeless loser like me.

And just as we were talking—

“Actually, I kind of thought Kanbara-kun and I were a good match too!”

Kazama herself suddenly joined in.

This time, both Shiranui and I were stunned.

“Right? Don’t you think Yukina-chan and Yuma-kun go really well together?”

“I’m happy to hear that. So even Tsuchiya-san thought that too, huh?”

“Yup! You two really looked close.”

“You’ve got a good eye. We are pretty close, right?”

Kazama gave me a wink.

Damn it.

She was clearly messing with me now.

She was playing along just to throw me off and enjoy my reaction. That smug expression on her face said it all.

But I wasn’t fooled.

I knew what she was really like behind that sweet act.

Still—right now, dealing with Tsuchiya came first.

“Can we talk for a sec?”

I called out to Tsuchiya and pulled her aside for a bit.

“What is it, Yuma-kun?”

“What are you trying to do?”

I lowered my voice as I asked.

“I’m just helping out.”

“Helping out?”

“You remember, right? I promised I’d support you whenever you needed help.”

Right—

That was the deal we made when I helped her patch things up with Shiranui.

I remembered the promise, sure—

But I had no clue how that explained what she just said earlier.

If anything, it felt more like she was attacking me.

“I’ve been watching you, you know. It’s obvious—you like Yukina-chan, don’t you?”

“…Huh?”

“So that’s your type, huh? But I get it—she’s charming. It’s not surprising you’d fall for her. She’s sociable, and since you’re more the passive type, it makes sense you’d prefer a girl who takes the lead.”

…I couldn’t exactly tell her, Actually, I like you.

“You’re aiming pretty high, though. She’s super popular, so it won’t be easy. But honestly? I think you’ve got a shot, Yuma-kun. That’s why I’ve decided—I’m going to support you with everything I’ve got. And judging from how she reacted earlier… I don’t think Yukina-chan’s totally against the idea either.”

No—Kazama’s just a dangerous girl who gets her kicks from teasing me for fun.

…Besides, it’s not like I even like her.

Sure, I’ll admit she’s cute. But that’s it.

Still, I see now—

That’s how it looked to Tsuchiya.

Kazama always messes with me.

And since I don’t want to ruin our current dynamic, I usually just go along with it.

Tsuchiya must’ve seen that and thought we were flirting.

So she misunderstood.

She thought I had feelings for Kazama.

But… what was I supposed to think about that?

In a way, I am targeting Kazama.

That much was true.

Ayane had told me to go after the younger Princess, but honestly—

The quickest and most efficient move would be to get closer to one of the Princesses I already knew.

Problem was, I didn’t have the confidence to make any real progress.

If I made the wrong move and messed things up, our current relationship would collapse.

Game over.

But if Tsuchiya really planned to support me—

Then maybe I had a chance to take things one step further.

“Oh, and just so you know, there’s nothing shady going on. It’s not like I’m trying to keep you away from Tsubasa-chan or anything.”

“…R-Right.”

There’s no point worrying about that.

No matter how hard I tried, there was no way someone like me could win over the Princess-Prince.

“So yeah—that’s why I thought I’d lend you a hand.”

Tsuchiya’s offer to help was honestly appreciated,

But if I accepted it—

It would basically be the same as admitting I liked Kazama.

And yeah… that would definitely be a problem.

I turned my eyes toward Kazama.

“Hehe, they say Kanbara-kun and I make a great pair. What do you think, Shiranui-san?”

“…Personally, I’m not so sure.”

“Ehh, why not? What’s the issue?”

“You just don’t seem like a couple. You look more like friends.”

“Fufufu, but don’t lots of romances start from friendship?”

“Ugh…”

They were chatting way too cheerfully.

Kazama had that smug grin on her face, clearly enjoying the chance to tease me.

And in response, Shiranui’s expression twisted into a frustrated pout.

That was when it happened.

Suddenly—someone let out a loud “Whoa!”

Confused, I glanced toward the hallway.

And somehow—without us noticing—

The hallway had filled up with students, both guys and girls.

I had completely forgotten.

All the girls here were Princesses.

And Princesses were the most popular people in the whole school.

“Fairy just smiled!”

“Kyaa! The Princess-Prince looks kinda frustrated!”

“Man, when the Princesses gather like this, it really is something else!”

It was pretty rare to see multiple Princesses gathered in one place.

With three of them in the same spot, it was no wonder a crowd had formed.

And as time passed, more and more onlookers kept gathering.

This… was bad.

The most popular girls in school were all standing around my desk—a guy who normally didn’t get noticed at all.

I was just a background character, and now I was stuck right in the middle of this glowing spotlight.

Was this even okay?

Could I survive this without getting lynched by the rest of the school?

As anxiety crept up my spine—

“…What exactly is all this noise about?”

It wasn’t a loud voice.

But it was so clear and commanding that it cut through the entire crowd.

Instantly, the hallway fell dead silent—like someone had hit the power switch.

Not a single sound.

Not a single breath.

Only one person in Himegasaki Academy could pull that off.

The owner of that voice slowly walked toward us.

The surrounding students stepped aside as if they had rehearsed it, parting smoothly to make way—

Like citizens bowing before royalty.

Except in this case, it wasn’t a king.

It was the Queen.

“So you’re the reason for all this fuss.”

The moment she appeared, everyone lost their words.

Even Kazama and Shiranui—who had been chatting so cheerfully just a minute ago—were now breaking into nervous cold sweat.

The Queen turned her eyes toward Shiranui and Tsuchiya.

“You’re not from this class, are you?”

“U-Um, well, this is just…”

“Afternoon classes will be starting soon. You should head back to your classrooms.”

No one could argue with her.

Not even the Princesses.

With obedient nods, the two of them quietly walked away.

“Everyone gathered here—return to your classrooms. The commotion is over.”

She clapped her hands twice.

No one dared to disobey the Queen.

As if on cue, the crowd began to scatter.

In just moments, everything returned to normal.

Her command over the students was unreal.

While I sat there both awed and slightly terrified—

The Queen turned her gaze toward me and Kazama.

“It’s lunchtime, so a bit of noise is expected. But please avoid causing a scene that draws in this many students. Nothing happened this time, but last year, someone actually got hurt during a similar incident.”

“Y-Yes, ma’am!”

“As long as you understand.”

And with that, the Queen quietly walked away.

Finally free from the pressure, I let out a long sigh of relief.